Green tea (Matcha) and white chocolate ganache macarons

After my first batch of successful caramel fleur de sel macarons, I promised to make green tea macarons, and here they are! Soy loves green tea desserts, but she can be quite picky about them. She doesn’t like her green tea desserts to be too milky, so I was initially unsure about using white chocolate in my ganache. Unfortunately, a buttercream filling would have been worse in my effort to avoid making a filling that is too milky or creamy, so I ventured into making these green tea macarons with some trepidation. First, I scoured the web to get a recipe for green tea macarons that I could follow from start to end, but didn’t find any that I was completely happy with. To add to my nervousness, I then decided to use Baroque’s base recipe that I was comfortable with, and trust my instincts and taste to create a green tea macaron. I have admitted many times that my cooking skills are dismal. To me, the mark of a really good cook is the ability to cook based on whatever ingredients are available, and being able to create on the go. Soy does this brilliantly, and I am her biggest fan. The skills required for baking and for a pastry chef, I think, is the complete opposite- being precise and technical, and following a recipe closely. That, I am very good at! So these macarons definitely brought me out of my comfort zone and I was crossing all my fingers and toes that it would not just be an absolute flop.

White chocolate hardly makes an appearance in our house- Soy is a dark chocolate eater, and I like dark and milk. So opening the package to reveal a creamy white block was a different experience. For these macarons, I used natural matcha powder. Matcha powder is actually finely ground green tea leaves, and packs punch of flavour (and antioxidants)! For the ganache, I followed the proportions of chocolate, cream and butter, and then added matcha powder to taste (don’t worry, I made sure I measured how much I used). I did use a substantial amount, because I wanted to make sure to dull the creaminess of the white chocolate, for Soy’s sake, so if you want a more delicate flavour, use less matcha powder. Be careful also not to overdo the matcha powder, because too much can result in a bitter aftertaste.

I am also happy to report that my piping skills are improving! It was slightly easier this time to match my macaron shells after they were baked, because I was able to get more shells of the same size.

Remember in my last macaron post I included a photo of what you do not want your piped shells to look like? Well, this is how you do want them to look. After piping, you need to leave the shells for about 15 min to let the shells form a slight crust, before popping them into the oven. They should be relatively flat and even like this. You don’t want to see domes or peaks, because that means the mixture is too tough.

If you want your macaron shells to retain their pale green colour, make sure you don’t leave them in the oven for too long, or they will brown. If you have hot spots in your oven like I do, then it can’t be helped. The macaron shells around the edges of the tray were a touch browner than I liked.

It will take a lot of willpower, and perhaps a lock on your fridge, but these macarons really need to be rested in the fridge for at least 24 hours for the matcha flavour to develop. Of course I couldn’t help myself, and had a taste after thy were in the fridge for a few hours. I found that they still had a slight bitter aftertaste from the matcha, and the macaron shells hadn’t rehydrated, and so were crunchy rather than chewy. I know this will be very very difficult, but I found the flavour of the macarons were best after 2 days. “TWO whole days?!” I can hear you exclaim… but, trust me, my whole household agreed that the change in flavour was remarkable. The macaron shells had just the right crunch before your teeth sunk into them, and the ganache was smooth and delicate without any bitterness. Best of all, Soy loved them! I also brought along some of these delicious morsels to a friend’s dinner party, and everyone loved them with their tea and coffee.

Now, I am already thinking about what flavour macaron I should play with next! Tell me, what is your ultimate macaron flavour that you wish you could have?

Pour ¾ of the boiled cream into the grated chocolate and let sit for a few minutes to commence melting the chocolate.

Commence mixing with a spatula in a slow circular motion taking care not to incorporate any air.

Once you have a shiny and homogenous mixture, pour the remaining cream over the chocolate and repeat the mixing process. Check the temperature of the chocolate (not more than 55°C).

Add the butter and mix until the butter has completely absorbed into the chocolate.

Cover your ganache with clingfilm and leave in the fridge to set.

Step 2. MAKING YOUR MERINGUE SHELLS:
Sift the matcha powder with the TPT.

Mix the TPT with the egg whites, mixing vigorously until you have a smooth paste.
Mix the caster sugar, water and colour, commence cooking.
Place the aged egg whites in a Kitchenaid mixer with the whisk attachment.
Once the sugar has reached 115°C commence whipping your egg whites until they reach ‘soft peak’ consistency.
When the sugar reaches 118°C remove from the stove and pour slowly on the still mixing egg whites.
Turn the speed to maximum for around 1min and return to medium for another 2min and then let the meringue cool to around 50°C whilst mixing slowly.
Using a spatula commence incorporating the meringue into the TPT and egg white batter. Work the mix gently from the sides to the middle until you reach a homogenous, shiny texture.

Step 3. PIPING AND COOKING YOUR MERINGUE SHELLS:
Using a plastic piping bag with no. 11 tip, pipe the shells onto a baking sheet according to the size template.
You should stop piping before the mix reaches the outside edge of the template.
Tap the tray gently on the side of the bench until the macaron reaches the size of the template.
Remove the template from beneath your baking sheet.
Leave the macarons outside at room temperature for 15 min or until they have formed a skin and are dry to touch.
Cook the macarons according to the cooking guide for your type of oven
Once cooked, slide the paper off the tray and let the shells cool (preferably on a wire rack)

Step 4. ASSEMBLING YOUR MACARONS
Pull the shells from the paper gently and turn them upside down.
Pair your macaron shells according to size and lay them out on your bench.
Put your green tea ganache into a piping bag.

Fill one half of your paired macaron shells filling them generously but keeping a space of approximately 3mm from the edge of the shell.
Pick up the macaron filled with ganache in one hand and the empty pair in the other and close the macaron by gently twisting the two shells together from left to right.
Remember to let the filling spread regularly all the way to the edge of the shells.

STORING AND SERVING

Put the finished macarons on a tray and leave them in the fridge for at least 24 hours.Prior to serving, let the macarons return to room temperature.

i cannot believe you made macaroons! you girls are seriously AMAZING la!!!!

honeyandsoy

MacarOns, my dear! Yes, I am pedantic but macaroons are different- macaroons are made with coconut and are a totally different dessert from macarons from Paris. I've had my share of macaron disasters, believe me! But I am glad these turned out pretty good!

daan tarts in Canberra

Hi Honey, it looks like you're using a template when piping your macaron, did you get this from your macaron masterclass? Did the class include much in the way of handouts and/or things that you could buy to assist in making them as I need all the help I can get? I'm so impressed with your efforts as I've failed miserably on several occasions but am determined not to give up. You go girl!!!!!

honeyandsoy

Hi! I do use a template, as it just makes it SO much easier to try and get the same sized macarons. We did get a folder with lots of information and the template, but I've summarised all the main points on my posts. The template can be made really easily- do up circles on Word and print it out! I measured, and each circle has a diameter of 4 cm. Or if you like, I can scan and email the template to you. Let me know!

http://fitnfreshblog.com Alycia @ Fit n Fresh

Those look gorgeous!!!

the urban baker

these are beautiful. green tea powder is on my radar.

honeyandsoy

Thank you Alycia! Will you be trying them too?

honeyandsoy

Brilliant!! You can do lots with matcha powder… endless possibilities for desserts…. oh, and a japanese rice dish made with green tea that Soy made once…

Brennan

what was the tempature of your oven for the shells?

thanks.

http://www.honeyandsoy.com honeyandsoy

Hi Brennan! Oops I thought I included the oven temps- I'll go add them to my other posts as well, but here is the guide: If using a convection (fan) oven, 150 deg C for 25 minutes. For static ovens, 170 deg C. After 10 minutes, open the oven door twice to let the steam escape then reduce the heat to 160 deg C and cook for another 10-15 min. Hope this helps!

Judy

hi,have you ever frozen your macs? whenever i make a batch, its usually just 1 flavour and you make alot of them. i was hoping it was feasible to make a few batches in a few different flavours, freeze them, and be able to whip out a few of each flavour whenever i have guests over etc, whilst still retaining that chewy inside crispy outside texture. i heard its best to refrigerate/freeze your macs for a while before you eat them anyway, but i dont know how long they can be frozen for.

btw i love how your macarons are looking on your blog – they look store bought with perfect feet that don't stick out the sides – is this because you use an italian meringue?

http://www.honeyandsoy.com honeyandsoy

Hi Judy! Hmm I've never frozen my macarons, cos they all disappear so quickly!! I do store them in the fridge though, and yes, you do need to rest them in the fridge for 1 day for the flavours to develop and the shells to rehydrate before eating them. What I was told, though, is that you can actually keep macaron shells (unfilled) for up to 2 months in an airtight container. Maybe you can do this? Ganache and fillings can be made quite quickly, and if you make small batches when needed, you can then just fill the macaron shells that you have ready.

And thanks for your kind words about the macarons you see here! I haven't used any other meringue for my macarons except Italian meringue. But I like the results, and I'm still new to macaron-making, so I haven't felt the need to experiment with other recipes just yet. I hope this helps! If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask!

Hi!
OMG! These look absolutely divine, all your macarons look so professional! Drool! Can I ask you, what type of food colouring do you use? I heard it’s better to use powder colouring, but it’s hard to find.

http://www.honeyandsoy.com honeyandsoy

Hi Mich! Thank you! I generally try not to use colouring, so for these, the colour just comes from the matcha powder. But for the raspberry and dark choc ganache, I did use a small amount of red food colouring powder. It is true that powder is better cos it doesn’t alter the consistency of the macaron mixture too much, but if you’re using gel or a concentrate, it should be ok.

Mich

Thanks for your reply, I shall get my hands on some green tea powder soon.

Karen

Hi Honey & Soy, I haven’t been blogging for some time and didn’t realise that you replied to my post so a very big thank you – sorry for not getting back to you sooner. I thought I might try making some more macs in the next couple of weeks in preparation for by Baroque Bistro class in Nov and would love it if you could scan and email the template if it is not too much trouble:) Also, thanks for letting me know about the class I really appreciate it – I hope to make lots of macs again soon so that I can hand them out as xmas gifts.

http://www.honeyandsoy.com honeyandsoy

Hun, you are already going for the class, there’s no need to practice beforehand!!! OMG, just go and enjoy the class, and practice there. You’ll be in very good hands

Blue_star1229

Hi Honey & Soy, they look fabulous!! Is it possible to get the template emailed to me? really want to attempt to make these!

Anika

Thanks for sending me the template! I also have one query. With the fresh cream, which cream are you referring to as there is pure, thick etc. For some reason, I reckon I’m going to fail hahaha it seems that practice makes perfect!

green-tea

where do you buy the green tea powder?

http://www.maameemoomoo.com/blog Maameemoomoo

Your macarons look really gorgeous!!!

I like their very tall feet!

Maya

Sorry, I don’t think I saw how many servings does each recipe make, can you please let me know? thank You!! They Look so Awesome!!!

rain

Hi… ur macarons looks tempting.. and i love green tea…
i would like to make some, but i dont know what is almond meal and where can i get them?

Thank u =)

rain

Hi… ur macarons looks tempting.. and i love green tea…
i would like to make some, but i dont know what is almond meal and where can i get them?

Thank u =)

http://www.honeyandsoy.com honeyandsoy

Hi Rain,

Almond meal is basically ground almonds. You should be able to get it from any nut shop or health food shop, or you could grind your own almonds. Good luck!

http://www.honeyandsoy.com honeyandsoy

Hi Rain,

Almond meal is basically ground almonds. You should be able to get it from any nut shop or health food shop, or you could grind your own almonds. Good luck!